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How to lead a horse
Leading a horse is an important component of ground training—training that you do with your horse when you are standing on the ground. When you are able to lead your horse, you will have a much easier time controlling his movements, as well as tying him to a hitching rail and trailering him.Leading your horse will also help you better communicate with him. With time and patience, you will be able to successfully lead your horse and improve your relationship with him. Obtain the equipment to lead your horse. You will need a few tools to lead your horse: halter, lead rope, gloves, and dressage whip. The halter will fit snugly yet comfortably on your horse’s head, and the lead the rope will attach to the halter. The gloves are useful to protect your hands from rope burns and/or irritation. *The dressage whip is a semi-rigid rod that is about 36 to 44 inches (91 to 110 cm) in length. The semi-rigidness will prevent the horse from experiencing painful or bothersome pokes from the whip. *Lead ropes come in different materials. Cotton lead ropes can be more forgiving on your hands (if you are not wearing gloves), but may rot or mildew if stored when wet. Polypropylene lead ropes have several advantages, including being soft and flexible and easy to grip. *Nylon lead ropes are also available. *Choose a lead rope that is about 8 to 10 feet (2 to 3 m) long. *A rope halter with a rope crown snap is useful when teaching a horse to yield to pressure. Pressure is sometimes needed when leading a horse. *Treats will also be helpful to have on hand. Examples of tasty treats include cut-up apples or carrots and horse cookies. Place the halter on your horse. Attach your lead rope to the halter before placing it on your horse. Holding the unbuckled halter in your left hand, stand on your horse’s left side and slowly guide your right hand over his neck to guide his head toward you. With your right hand, slowly guide the halter’s nosepiece over your horse’s muzzle and the headstall over and behind his ears. *Do not poke your horse’s eyes as you are positioning the halter. #Secure the halter. Keep in mind that halters have different ways of being secured (e.g., buckles, snaps, clips). *Talk to your horse in a reassuring voice as you are placing the halter on him. *Having the lead rope already attached will give you some control if your horse tries to pull away as you put the halter on. Check the fit of the halter. A halter that does not fit properly will create challenges when leading a horse. You should be to fit two fingers easily and snugly between your horse and the noseband. Adjust the halter accordingly if it fits too tightly or too loosely. *Your horse may signal his discomfort if the halter is too tight on his head or behind his ears. Hold the lead rope. How you hold the lead rope is essential to safely leading your horse. Hold the lead rope with your right hand. Fold or coil the excess lead rope in your left hand. *'Never' wrap the lead rope around your hand—if your horse decides to bolt, you could get dragged by your horse and seriously injure yourself. *Keep the excess lead rope off of the ground to prevent you or your horse from tripping over it. The following link will lead to a source that will help you further in this topic https://docs.google.com/document/d/14rSiYmmlkrpbq30YM6asqsJJqYjgEjTEkyiCXwz_5Pk/edit